Patent Title: POLYOLS FROM PROTEIN BIOMASS

 Number/Link: WO2016/094859

Applicant/Assignee: Inventors

Publication date: 16-06-2016

“Gist”: Transamidation of protein with diamines followed by carbonation

Why it is interesting: Currently most renewable polyols are based on natural oils (NOPs) like soy-oil, but it is also possible to make polyols from proteins. According to this invention this can be accomplished by first cleaving the protein amide bonds by transamidation with an excess of low molecular weight polyamines using a boric acid derivative as catalyst. Then stripping the excess amines and reacting with cyclocarbonates. In an example soy-meal is reacted with ethylenediamine and then with ethylene carbonate resulting in a urethane polyol. The polyols have a high primary OH content, are auto-catalytic and are said to be useful for the production of PU resins and rigid foams.

Polyol according to the invention. R is an amino acid residue.